Case Summary:

When our NIW (National Interest Waiver) client from South Korea came to us he was an active member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and was in good standing as a Graduate Research Assistant working in the field of materials science. He held a bachelor’s degree in chemical and biomolecular engineering and was pursuing a Ph.D. in chemical engineering and had been actively publishing articles in his area of interest. At the same time, these articles were being cited by other peer members of the scientific community. This made it evident to our team that his case was indeed meritorious. Having thus performed an initial background check, we began with his case preparation after the necessary paperwork. Our team collected data from his documents and found the following information for his petition packet:

• His contributions to materials science have been recognized in numerous ways, including in affirmations from several preeminent leaders in his field, publications in many of the leading journals for his areas of focus, an exceptional citation record for these publications, and the funding of his research by a leading organization too.
• He has made exceptionally high-quality, influential, cutting-edge contributions to the field of materials science, particularly in the areas of semiconductor fabrication and lithium-ion batteries for wearable electronics and other semiconductor devices.
• His research has been supported with funding from the Semiconductor Research Corporation, which proves that his work is not only of academic interest but is of industrial interest as well.
• His research advancing his proposed endeavor is of great importance because it combines his expertise in batteries and semiconductors to advance the development of wearable devices.
• His research has resulted in 9 peer-reviewed journal and conference articles (2 of them first-authored).
• These publications have been cited a total of 131 times according to Google Scholar.
• He has pursued research directly related to his proposed endeavor of developing flexible batteries for wearable electronics for 7 years.
• His research work in the area has been supported by 4 other experts who provided written recommendations for him. Two of them had the following to say about his work:

“[The client’s] research goes toward the benefit of both engineers and individual citizens around the world. [Client’s] work provides a new and competitive alternative to a discipline otherwise dominated by a single material. [Client’s] work not only helps materials scientists around the world continue to conduct innovative research on wearable technology, but it also represents a critical component of the work that goes into bringing the benefits of wearable technology to its users, including physical monitoring, increased internet connectivity, and more.”

“[The client] has repeatedly demonstrated that his work is in direct alignment with national goals to maintain this industry. His research is imperative to the continuation of American dominance in the global semiconductor market, as well as to maintain the employment of more than a million people within the nation. It is for this reason, as well as for his entire research record and background, that I strongly recommend the extension of [The client’s] work within the United States.”

Thus, when his approval came through after 10 months and 6 days only, we were happy to have been a part of his journey. We thank our client for his support and wish him the very best in all future endeavors.